Tarnos - La Digue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the next 16 days are a real mixed bag for the region, but we're looking at a pretty lean run overall. The water is sitting at a very toasty 77°, which is a massive 5° warmer than what's normal for this time of year. That's not just notable, that's unusual.

We start off with a rough patch. From Saturday the 15th right through to Wednesday the 19th, it's pretty much a no-go. The swell is tiny, the period is short, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore. The wave energy is weak, sitting between 15 and 94 (94). You’d be better off finding something else to do.

Then on Thursday morning the 20th, we get a slight glimmer. Tarnos - La Digue (beach/jetty) has a tiny 2ft swell from the NW with a 9-second period, and it goes glassy. The wave energy is still just 64 (64), so it's surfable but very ordinary. It's not worth jumping for.

The action starts to pick up a little from Friday the 21st. The morning sees a 4ft NW swell with an 11-second period, giving the combined energy a moderate kick at 344 (344). The wind is cross-onshore, though, so it's marginal. The afternoon looks worse.

Saturday the 22nd is where things get genuinely interesting. We've got an offshore wind from the east at 6 mph, cleaning up a 3ft NW swell (9-second period). The energy is moderate at 148 (148). It's surfable and clean, but doesn't quite tip over into "good" territory. That being said, with offshore winds, the lineup might get a few takers, and crowds are sometimes a thing here.

Sunday the 23rd is the standout for the entire 16-day window. The afternoon is where it's at: a 4ft swell from the WNW with an 8-second period, and a nice cross-offshore breeze from the NE at 9 mph. The combined energy is moderate-strong at 213 (213), and the forecast is for good surf conditions. This is the best bet on the table for the whole run.

After that, it falls apart again. Monday the 24th brings onshore winds and rain, and the swell gets chopped up. Tuesday is similar. We get a couple of glassy mornings on Wednesday the 26th and Sunday the 30th, but the swell is just too small – 2ft and 0.7ft – to be worth paddling out for. The energy is weak, 32 (32) and 10 (10) respectively.

The final week from the 24th onwards is a write-off. A few clean mornings with offshore winds from the east from the 27th to the 29th, but the swell is barely a ripple at 1.0ft. You'd be wasting your time.

So, to sum it up: the only real standout is Sunday afternoon, the 23rd of August, at Tarnos - La Digue. Get it while it lasts, because the rest of the 16 days looks pretty ordinary.

Rusty.

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